Tammy Rose Gardens & Design

07/03/2026

26/02/2026

March pruning targets the plants that bloom on new wood or need shaping just as growth resumes. Cutting too early risks frost damage to fresh cuts. Cutting too late removes developing flower buds.

One rule covers most of it — if it flowers on this year's growth, cut now. If it flowers on last year's growth, wait until after it blooms.

TREES AND SHRUBS

→ Crape Myrtle — remove crossing branches and suckers at the base. Resist topping, which creates weak knobby regrowth and fewer blooms.

→ Wisteria — cut back summer side shoots to 2 to 3 buds. Controls rampant growth and concentrates energy into flower clusters instead of foliage.

→ Fig Trees — thin overcrowded interior branches and remove frost-damaged tips. Figs fruit on new growth so March cuts encourage productive wood.

→ Forsythia (after flowering) — prune immediately after blooms fade in late March. Cut old stems at the base to keep the shrub open and prevent it from becoming a tangled wall.

PERENNIALS AND GARDEN STAPLES

→ Ornamental Grasses — cut entire clumps to 4 to 6 inches before new green blades emerge. Old growth left too long smothers fresh shoots.

→ Rosemary — shape lightly and remove winter-damaged tips while growth is starting. Avoid cutting below green foliage into old wood.

→ Hardy Fuchsia — cut back hard to 2 to 4 inches above ground once new buds appear at the base. Last year's stems are dead wood by March.

→ Perovskia (Russian Sage) — cut all stems to 6 to 8 inches from the ground. New silvery growth emerges from the base and flowers form only on current-year wood.

→ Garden Sage — trim back the top third of woody stems to healthy leaf nodes. Hard pruning into bare wood kills branches that won't regrow.

→ Liriope — mow or shear to 3 inches before spring growth. Removes tattered winter foliage and gives new blades a clean start.

→ Epimedium — shear all old leaves to ground level in early March. Last year's foliage hides the delicate spring flowers if left in place.

→ Penstemon — remove last season's spent flower stalks and any frost-blackened stems to make room for basal shoots at soil level.

What blooms on new wood gets cut now. What blooms on old wood gets left alone. That single distinction prevents the most common pruning mistake of the season.

19/02/2026

12/02/2026

Some of the most nutritious plants you can eat are already growing in your yard for free. These common backyard weeds pop up on their own, no planting or care needed. Instead of pulling them, start picking them.

Edible weeds hiding in your yard:

Dandelion - leaves, flowers, and roots are all usable
Purslane - succulent leaves packed with omega-3s
Lamb's quarters - one of the tastiest wild greens, cook it like spinach
Plantain (Plantago) - young leaves are mild and versatile
Pigweed (Amaranth) - leafy greens that rival spinach nutritionally
Chickweed - tender, mild flavor, great raw in salads
Wood sorrel - clover-like leaves with a bright lemony tang
Wild violets - flowers and leaves are both edible
Clover - blossoms make a mild tea, young leaves work in salads

Always forage from areas free of pesticides, herbicides, and road runoff. Identify every plant with certainty before eating. When in doubt, check with your local cooperative extension office. 🌿🌼🍃

18/12/2025

12/12/2025

17/11/2025

17/11/2025

A new and highly intriguing study has shown that women who wore rose essential oil on their clothing for 30 consecutive days exhibited significant increases in gray matter volume across multiple brain regions, as revealed by high-resolution MRI scans.

Researchers propose that this effect begins with the olfactory system, one of the most direct pathways into the brain. When rose scent molecules are inhaled, they bypass the usual sensory relays and travel straight to the olfactory bulb, which has strong neural connections to the limbic system the brain’s center for emotion, memory consolidation, and autonomic regulation.

One of the most notable findings was the pronounced response in the posterior cingulate cortex (PCC), a key hub involved in self-referential processing, autobiographical memory, emotional evaluation, and internal attention networks. The PCC is also part of the default mode network (DMN), which is essential for memory integration and long-term cognitive stability.

The researchers suggest that prolonged olfactory stimulation from the rose scent may trigger continuous encoding and reconsolidation of odor-linked memories. This repeated activation leads to heightened synaptic activity, promoting:

Neuroplasticity (the brain’s ability to form new neural connections)

Increased dendritic branching

Greater neuronal density in regions involved in memory and emotional regulation

These structural changes are reflected as increases in gray matter volume on MRI imaging.

Scientifically, increased gray matter in these regions is associated with:

Enhanced cognitive performance (memory, learning, decision-making)

Improved emotional regulation and stress resilience

Reduced neuroinflammation

Stronger connectivity within the DMN

Lower risk of neurodegenerative conditions, including Alzheimer’s disease, where gray matter loss is a hallmark feature

Importantly, this study reinforces a growing body of research suggesting that olfactory stimulation is a powerful driver of brain plasticity. Scents, especially those with emotional or soothing properties, may act as non-invasive neuromodulators, capable of influencing neural activity and even altering brain structure when exposure is sustained over time.

This emerging field sometimes called olfactory-based neuroenhancement is gaining attention as scientists discover how deeply intertwined smell is with memory, cognition, and mental well-being.

PMID: 38331299

17/11/2025